Device for picking cherries and like small fruits.



No. 871,842 PATENTED NOV. 26, 1907.

J. WEST.

DEVICE FOR PIOKING CHERRIES AND LIKE SMALL FRUITS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1906.

IN VEN TOR A.

W Jam 2: W251,

BY i v v I 0?.

' jATTORNEY JAMES WEST, OF JACKSON TOWNSHIP, WELLS COUNTY, INDIANA.

DEVICE FOR PICKING CHERRIES AND LIKE SMALL FRUITS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1907.

Application filed July 26,1906. Serial No. 327.896.

T 0 all whom it may concern."

Be 1t known that 1, James WVEsT, a citizen oi the Unlted States, and a resldent of the townshi of Jackson in the count *of ells hands of the gatherer.

A further purpose in my invention is to provide such a device which will be light in Weight, easy of manipulation, durable, and economical of manufacture.

The objects of my invention are accomplished by the novel and ingeniously constructed and arranged device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view, and Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of my improved device complete, in the latter view, the door being shown as swung open. Fig. 3 is a front view of the device; Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view and Fig. 5 is a vertical central sectional view of the straight-edge blade removed.

Similar letters of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.

A designates the receptacle, made of sheet metal such as tin or aluminium, it being substantially square in cross section and of dimension larger at its rear than at its forward end, and of the general conformation as shown in Fig. 1. It may be made in sizes suitable to be manipulated by a hand. smaller than that of the adult person, and may be made of varying lengths and capacity. The forward end of the receptacle is brought to an ensmalled closure and the angularly disposed nose B, and the oval-shaped opening C, are formed. This opening U is of such dimension as to freely admit into the receptacle the fruit severed, as will be hereinafter described.

Extending transversely across and rigidly secured to the inner edge of the nose is the straight-edge blade D. This straightedge blade is made of steel and has the upwardly disposed tines E at its ends. It is suitably secured in position by soldering to the edges of the nose and to the suitable support plate set thereunder, as plainly shown in Fig. 2.

The shear-blade If formed integrally with the arm I is finished to a suitable edge as shown in Fig. 2. This shear-blade is bent downwardly at substantially a right angle to the arm I the end of the arm being secured to the leaf-spring K which in turn is secured. to the body of the receptacle all of the parts of the device being so disposed with reference to each other that the normal positions thereof are as plainly shown in Fig. 1. The shear-blade ll is so retained with reference to the straight-edge blade 1) that when the former is pressed. downwardly until its 1n ovement has been arrested by the spring K com ing into contact with the top of the receptacle there will be a slight clearance between the vertical faces of the blades, the shearing or clipping contact thereof having occurred as the edge of the shear-blade passed the edge of the straight-edge blade. By this novel arrangement of the fixed blade and the ingenious conformation and disposition of the movable blade and its arm, the movement of the one blade past the other, besides effectively severing the stems disposed thereat, will tend to draw and impel the fruit so severed, away from the line of severance.

The rear end of the receptacle is bound and stiffened by the wire 0, and is provided with the suitably hinged door L retained normally closed by the spring-latch M, as plainly shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Secured to the under side of the receptacle at a proper location is the lug N, against which the thumb of the hand operating the device may rest.

In the practice of my invention, the device just described is held by either the right or the left hand of the manipulator, the thumb resting against the lug l and the fore-finger on the shear-blade arm I. The device is then projected to the growing small fruit desired to be severed and gathered, the nose B guiding the fruit toward the cutting edge and the tines E engaging the stems of the fruit, pressure is then exerted by the forefinger on the shear-bladc arm and the stems are i1npinged between the blades, the under-side of the arm pressing the fruit, the stems are readily severed. The fruit so severed slides down the inclined lower surface of the receptacle and into the body-portion thereof and against the door L. The operation thus described is repeated until the receptacle has become 'filled when its contents are easily discharged. i 7

It will be observed that in the use of my improved device the most delicate of small fruits, such as cherries, may be severed from their stems Without mutilation, infecting or the soiling of the fruit in the least, and Without the necessity of the hands of the person gathering the same coming into contact therewith. Moveover the fruit may be rapidly severed and gathered, and by reason of the sound and cleanly condition of the same, the loss and deterioration of the fruit incident to the mutilation and soiling of the same when picked and gathered directly by human hands, is prevented.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the kind described, the

combination with a box-shaped receptacle having its one end ensmalled into a noseshaped closure and having an aperture thereat in one side of the receptacle, of a straightedge blade secured adjacent the said aperture, and a shear-blade yieldingly disposed apart from the said straight-edge blade and the said aperture, normally sustained out of engagement, and a spring-latched door hingedly secured to and adapted to close the 0pposite end of the receptacle, substantially as set forth.

2. A device of the kind described, comprising a receptacle substantially square in cross-section and having a grip-lug thereon the forward end. of the receptacle being ensmalled into a nose-shaped closure and having an aperture thereat and its rear end 'being of enlarged din1ension, there being a straight edge blade with tines at each end thereof secured at the said nose-shaped closure and a spring-sustained shear blade to simultaneously engage the straight edge blade and close said aperture, and a spring-latched door hingedly secured to the rear end of said receptacle, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I afliX my signature in the presence of two Witnesses, this 2d day of July, 1906.

- JAMES WEST. Witnesses:

J. P. BOYD, BENJ. JoHNsoN. 

